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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26505712">Indissolubili Vinculo Copulatae</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLovedGranger/pseuds/TheLovedGranger'>TheLovedGranger</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, M/M, Multi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 13:27:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,493</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26505712</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLovedGranger/pseuds/TheLovedGranger</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>New to the wizarding world, Hermione Granger finds herself swept off her feet by the new knowledge and new people. In particular, a certain pureblood and set of twins become quite a bit closer to the young girl than first expected. M for later, quad fic.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Draco Malfoy/Fred Weasley/George Weasley, Draco Malfoy/Hermione Granger/George Weasley, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy/Fred Weasley, Hermione Granger/Fred Weasley/George Weasley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Magic!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Welcome to a new endeavor! I have no idea how long this fic will be and I am horrendous at updating so please forgive me in advance!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Hermione Granger sat on the plump sofa in the small living room of her London home absolutely awestruck. In front of the 11-year-old girl was a woman. This woman was not quite normal though. This woman was, apparently, Professor Minerva McGonagall of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hermione, however young she may be, knew better than to believe that and so in the impertinent manner of many children her age demanded that the woman across from her “prove it” much to her parents’ chagrin. But instead of being annoyed by the precocious girl, Minerva swiftly pulled her wand and made the coffee table float a few feet off the floor, putting the girls’ doubts to rest before lowering it and putting her wand away.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My dear”, Minerva started, “if you choose to accept, and yes this is a choice, you will have to join me in Diagon Alley to gather your supplies. I-.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was after her last full sentence that Hermione’s mum, Jean, stepped into the conversation. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“With all due respect, why does Hermione have to go with you? Couldn’t we just go? I’m sure it isn’t that hard to find this place.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Minerva sighed, “unfortunately, Diagon Alley is only visible to magical people from the outside. Only Hermione would be able to see it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well our Hermione would be able to lead us to it then. That’s no reason for her to have to go with just you on this outing.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Seeing that there would need to be a better explanation, Minerva pulled her wand back out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This is a map of Charing Cross Road in London, on this road there is a wizarding pub called The Leaky Cauldron. This pub is not visible to non-magical people, muggles.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Minerva explained, the map zoomed in on the building as she talked. “Behind the pub is the entry to the alley. To get through the entrance, you must tap certain bricks in the wall in the right order. That is circumventable if you happen to get to the entrance as someone is leaving, but it is not always that easy. There are many magical folk that are heavily against the idea of muggles in the Alley and so they choose to floo or apparate from within the shopping district.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Minerva finished her explanation, she realized that the entire Granger family was staring at the map in wonder as it showed all of Diagon Alley. Smiling to herself, she quietly cleared her throat and moved to stand. It was that movement that gathered the family’s attention. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m afraid I must be going now,” was Minerva’s apologetic response to the looks she had garnered from the family. “There are many more muggle-borns that must be approached, and fair little time to do so before the school year starts.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The family smiled at the professor in understanding before Daniel stood and began to walk Minerva out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Professor, how safe is the wizarding world”, Daniel asked before letting Minerva leave. “Hermione is my baby girl and my only child. I don’t know if I want her going to some mysterious school that might not be safe.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This line of questioning made Minerva smile. She answered as best she could.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The wizarding world is peaceful, but I won’t lie and say that she won’t face opposition. There are wizards out there that believe people like Hermione do not belong but they are a minority now. There is nothing to fear.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Daniel gave the professor a relieved smile before opening the door and letting her leave. </span>
</p><hr/>
<p>
  <span>Hermione sat on the living room couch with a frown while looking at her mum. She was confused about her mum’s attitude when Professor McGonagall had explained about needing to take Hermione into the alley herself. She had never said that the elder Grangers could not go with, just that Professor McGonagall had to go with to allow them access to the alley. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mum, why were you so upset when the professor was talking about going to the alley? She never said that you couldn’t come with, just that you couldn’t see it and get in without help.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jean sighed wearily before turning to face her daughter. “I remember my grandmother telling me stories about magic, but I never expected it to be real. The idea that my daughter is being brought into this world that is so separated from the world I live in is terrifying and I want to hold on to you for as long as I can. Like your father said, you are our only child, we don’t want to lose you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hermione looked at her mother with curiosity. “Which grandmother? I didn’t think that anyone in our family was magical. I mean, neither of you are magical…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jean just smiled and shook her head. Looking at Hermione she just knew that she would be looking for books on magical ancestry and genetics if it existed. Thinking a little more, Jean realised that, if she remembered what great grandma Isla said correctly, there would not be anything close to genetics as they knew it in the wizarding world. It all seemed to come down to who has magic and how they got it. Grandma Isla had often talked about her life before meeting and marrying grandpa Bob. It was filled with what had seemed to be fantastical stories about not only creatures like house elves and fairies, but also dark manors and the belief that one kind of magic was better than others before she graduated from school and met the love of her life. Afterward, everything was non-magical but filled with love and light and the belief that everyone was equal. Thinking back on it, Jean had never realised how odd it was that grandma Isla had outlived grandpa Bob  before finally succumbing to that inexplicable disease.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shaking her thoughts away and turned back to Hermione. “It was my great grandma Isla, you wouldn’t remember her. She passed away before you were born, sweetheart. The doctors were unable to figure out what disease she had managed to contract and died with some very interesting green and purple splotches on her chest. I think one of my great aunts caught it too at some point. It is so hard to remember.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hermione chuckled at her mother. She knew all too well the frustration that her mother was feeling. It was the horrific feeling that you have the information, just not the ability to access it. Of course that happens when people tell you things when you are really little. You can sometimes end up with it in your explicit long-term memory, but more often than not, it ends up as an implicit memory: there, but almost impossible to get to. Hermione often felt that frustration. It tended to happen when one was reading almost constantly and always looking for new information. This, of course, caused many an issue with her schoolmates. They mostly focused on playing tag and other games during recess whereas she was much happier finding a spot under a tree and reading whatever book had caught her fancy. Her love of reading combined with the strange happenings that had started when she was about six, Hermione never really had any friends. She could only hope that that changed in the coming years. </span>
</p><hr/>
<p>
  <span>Far from that London home was a crooked house where a large family lived. The Weasleys, a large pureblooded family, were gathered around their kitchen table going over just how they were going to afford the books and robes for four of their seven children. That year Percy, a new prefect, Fred and George, the mischievous twins, and Ron, the youngest son, would all be off to Hogwarts together. Of course this was not the first time that Arthur and Molly Weasley had sent multiple children off to Hogwarts, but every year they tightened the belt a little more. Some things, like robes, were made a little easier thanks to transfiguration, after all if you knew the right spells you could make them seem new rather than second hand. Other things, like wands and cauldrons, could not really be bought second hand. Wands had to choose the wizard or it could backfire or impede your own magic, and one could never be sure that a used cauldron wasn’t going to melt when you were using it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Molly watched as the four children going to school argued about how they were going to split up the small amount of galleons they were going to be able to spend. Ronald, the youngest, was arguing that as it was his first year he needed all new things. Fred and George were laughing at his statements. They were going into their third year and Molly remembered them getting all hand-me-down and second hand belongings to take with them. All except their wands of course. Molly remembered casting all of the stasis charms on Bill’s robes so that she could reuse them for her other children. Unfortunately, she knew that it wouldn’t work out as well for Ginny, her only daughter, if only because she was a daughter. She sighed as the arguing continued before finally standing to get tea. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She hated when the letters for school came. The arguing seemed endless between her children. It was a wonder that Charlie and Bill were as close as they were. Though, they were much closer in temperament than the twins and Percy. The twins were very much the antithesis of Percy. Their wild and mischievous nature set them apart from their quiet and studious brother. Molly constantly bemoaned the fact that the twins were dead set against getting ministry jobs after their graduation and often compared the two to Percy and how well he did in school. She and Arthur were planning on getting him his own owl to take to school with him and giving Scabbers, his rat, to Ronald as a pet. Molly was somehow oblivious to the fact that her youngest son would be absolutely torn to shreds when he received the rat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hearing that things were close to exploding all over the kitchen Molly quickly turned with her tea to try and fix things. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Boys, we all need to make sacrifices this year. Next year five of you will be off to school so the four of you need to calm down. Ronald, we cannot afford to give you all new things, as much as I would like to. Fred and George you need to quit laughing at your brother. Neither of you are getting new things either. If anything, Percy will be getting something new for making prefect this year.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fred and George started spluttering, looking at their mother incredulously. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We never-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Even asked for anything new! We were-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just laughing at the idiocy our little brother was spewing.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like he ‘deserves’ new things-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just because he is the youngest brother! If we-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Had to wear hand-me-downs, so does he!’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Angry yelling quickly followed the twins comments. “So what if you lot had to wear hand-me-downs? That doesn’t mean I do! It’s not like any of those robes will even be usable now!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Molly just sighed. “Ronald, I know that this is not what you expected, but we simply cannot afford to get all new things for you. Maybe if you do really well this year we could get you new robes for next year, but we simply cannot this year.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After hearing this, Ron stomped upstairs to strop some more. Molly sighed as she heard the noise he made on the stairs followed by the sound of a slamming door and the clanging of the attic ghoul. She was tired of the behaviour shown by her son but could not fathom being rougher on him. He was really a sensitive soul and she didn’t want to ruin that. He wasn’t like his older brothers. Ronald had yet to find something that he was truly good at and Molly hoped that he would figure it out during his first year at Hogwarts.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fred and George looked at each other following Ronald’s tantrum. They were not going to have a good year at Hogwarts this year at all. Knowing their mother, they would most likely be forced to make sure that he didn’t end up in ridiculous amounts of trouble. At least, no trouble that would get him expelled. This was, of course, horribly unfair. They had certainly never been coddled by their mother the way ickle Ronniekins was. He got pretty much everything he wanted, and if it looked like their mum would say no he would start crying to get his way. No, the twins rarely got what they wanted and if they tried to do something that they enjoyed their mother went berserk. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George gave his brother a quick, small eyebrow wiggle in silent question. Fred responded with a small, one shoulder shrug. Both were in agreement that while they would agree to take care of him when asked by their mother, they would certainly not maintain that promise much longer than making sure he gets onto the boats at Hogwarts. They would have much more important things to do at school that year.</span>
</p><hr/>
<p>
  <span>Somewhere between London and Devon lay a large, stately manor. This manor was the home of the Ancient and Noble House of Malfoy. Living here was Abraxas, his son and his wife, Lucius and Narcissa, and their son Draco. All four of them were very aware that they, by their own standards, were the cream of the wizarding world crop. Although Abraxas was getting on in years, he was still very much the head of the family. Oftentimes he would conference with Lucius before sending him to further the Malfoy agenda. That agenda, of course, was keeping the wizarding world as pure as possible. Abraxas knew that fresh blood was often the key to not losing the magical gene, but that did not mean that the rest of the community needed to know that his family sometimes married half-bloods. He certainly couldn’t let his former schoolmates know that. Going to Hogwarts in the forties meant he met the wizard now going by Lord Voldemort, Abraxas  had known him as Tom Riddle.  Despite Riddle’s own blood status, he was quite the blood supremacist. Abraxas was a few years older than Riddle and as such had little to do with him until he had proved himself as a bright student that refused to back down despite his perceived blood status during the first few months of his first year. Riddle’s ability to cow the rest of Slytherin house while charming the professors had proved to Abraxas that he was truly meant to be the leader of Slytherin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Since the fall of Voldemort in 1981, Abraxas had taken a step back from most political dealings, preferring Lucius to handle the day to day despite him having been tried as a death eater, a ridiculous name for what used to be the Knights of Walpurgis. Of course, Lucius was all too happy to take over much of the day to day as it removed him from the manor for hours at a time while Narcissa and the house elves took care of Draco. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Despite being his grandson, Abraxas could only handle small doses of Draco when he was an infant. Lucius being gone much of the day made it so that Draco was doted upon either by the elves or his mother, getting practically everything he wanted. Being doted upon led to an absolutely spoiled child which whined for everything and anything he wanted. Abraxas, having not been coddled or truly doted upon, could not stand that kind of behaviour. It most certainly was not the kind of behaviour a Malfoy should exhibit, and in some ways Abraxas blamed himself for this. He had allowed his own son to marry into a family known for madness. Clearly, while Narcissa herself showed no sign of the family insanity, it was a gene that could manifest in many ways. He knew too well how Bellatrix, Narcissa’s oldest sister, had turned out. Abraxas was pretty sure the entire wizarding world was aware of that particular insanity, even those that lived under rocks. It was not easy to hide. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Abraxas found himself rudely thrown out of his considerations by the dulcet tones of his grandson screaming about wanting the new Nimbus 2000 followed by the soft voice of his daughter-in-law trying her best to explain that, no, he could not have one until next year. Abraxas quickly packed away his things before following the sounds out to the drawing room to watch the battle play out. He often did this, waiting until the last minute before stepping in and making the little brat be quiet. It never lasted for long, but even the smallest reprieve was worth it. Finally there was a break long enough for Abraxas to step in. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Draconis Lucius Malfoy, what in the name of Merlin do you think you are doing?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Abraxas almost chuckled when he saw Draco flinch at the thunderous tone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Grandfather! I was just asking mother for a Nimbus 2000! They are the best broom on the market and as a Malfoy I deserve the best!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Abraxas just sighed and shook his head before casting a glare in Narcissa’s direction. If she hadn’t coddled the boy, he wouldn’t be this bad. He hoped that a year away from his parents would straighten him out, but for now he had to contain this mess.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You are right, in some ways, Draconis. As Malfoy’s we work hard to deserve the best. We do not bully our parents into giving us the best. Perhaps, if you can prove yourself this year at Hogwarts you might garner this Nimbus 2000.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Draco’s mouth opened and closed like a guppies before he nodded slightly at Abraxas and walked, well stomped off to his room leaving Narcissa to glance thankfully at her father-in-law.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. We're Off to See the Wizard...ing World</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hermione travels with her parents and Professor McGonagall to gather supplies and interacts with the twins and Draco for the first time.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Welcome to chapter two! Thank you all so much for the outpour of interest in this work, I definitely wasn’t expecting it! This will probably be one of the longest chapters in the fic. It may also be edited in the future due to the fact that I feel it is rambly in some places but can't figure out how to fix it. There is some sciency stuff towards the beginning and I apologise for it but it would not go away. I want to apologise for not including a time in the previous chapter but for future reference everything in the previous chapter occurred on August 1st 1991, this chapter is occurring on the 15th of August. This is where a lot of things become a little more AU than I truly expected it to so I will be adding that as a tag.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Granger Residence, August 15th 9:00 a.m.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The day had finally arrived, Hermione was being picked up by Professor McGonagall to go get her school supplies. Hermione was hoping to convince the professor to let her parents join them on the trip, especially since there might be a little magical blood in their ancestry. Hermione pondered on that and wondered if there was a way to trace ancestry in the wizarding world. Recently there was this thing about DNA testing to find out if someone committed a crime, but it could likely be used to connect family members if Hermione’s research was correct. Family members shared some markers due to being someone’s biological child, or their sibling. For instance, if someone were to look at Hermione’s DNA and then compare it to her parents, half of her DNA would match her mother’s and half would match her father’s. If it was true that Hermione’s mother was descended from a witch (not that Hermione thought her mother was lying, it’s just that it’s hard to remember things from childhood) and that witch was Hermione’s great-great grandmother, there would only be a 1/32 match between them. Not that it truly mattered, it would still be in the system, but it would be easier to get a match if it was bigger.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hermione was pulled out of her thoughts by a smart rapping on the door. She quickly bounded down the entryway to open the for the professor, excited to see her first bit of the wizarding world. Opening the door, Hermione beamed at the stern looking professor and quickly invited her in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good morning, professor! How are you today?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Professor McGonagall chuckled lightly. “I am well, Miss Granger. Are you prepared to leave? We have much to do today and little time to do it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hermione quickly answered. “I think I have everything I need. What am I supposed to do for money? I doubt the wizarding world takes pounds and that is all I have.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We can have your money exchanged when we get there. There is a wizarding bank that provides for such needs. That will just need to be our first stop of the day.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hermione nodded quickly and thought for a second. “Would it be possible for at least one of my parents to come? Since you are taking me, we don’t have to worry about how we will get in and I know that they would feel a bit better if at least one of them knew what I was getting into for the rest of my life.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Professor McGonagall looked consideringly at the young witch. On one hand, she could understand where the Granger’s were coming from. Perhaps if it was her own child she too would want to know what her only child was getting into, but on the other hand there was the Statute of Secrecy to consider. Of course, with muggle-born children, the statute became a little hazy because you couldn’t just take the magical children and obliviate the muggle parents (no matter how many purebloods wished that were so), but there was still a risk that they would talk to other relatives or even friends about what they saw in the magical shopping district. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>While the professor worked on deciding, Hermione shifted nervously. She wasn’t even at school yet and she felt like she was already getting in trouble for her beliefs. Hermione was a very idealistic person in some ways. It was hard to see it because of her love of books, but it was there. Hermione felt a keen need for her parents to go school shopping with her. It was a tradition in her family to take a day and go into London proper to get her uniforms each year. They of course would also buy new books, get lunch and then wander around some of the malls, but most importantly they would seek out the independent bookshops to support the small businesses. Hermione knew that something like that wouldn’t necessarily be possible in the wizarding shopping district, but she still needed her parents with her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Miss Granger,” the professor began, unknowingly startling the young witch. “I can understand wanting your parents to be with you, especially since this is, in reality, a whole new world for all of you. There are, however, certain limitations that we have in place to prevent non-magical people from finding out about us. More specifically, the wizarding populations all across the globe have their own versions of what we call the Statute of Secrecy. This law helps protect us from being discovered and possibly persecuted as we were up until just a few centuries ago. It is very important that we protect the wizarding world from persecution. That being said, if you can swear your parents will not tell a soul about Diagon Alley, they may join us.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hermione, who had been looking rather forlorn for most of the short speech, perked up at the last sentence and quickly ran into the kitchen to gather her parents, who, at Hermione’s behest, were already ready to go. Seeing that the Grangers were all ready to head out, Minerva chuckled. She could already tell Hermione would be a force to be reckoned with.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Weasley Residence, August 15th 10am</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fred, George! We are leaving whether you are ready or not! I am not going to ask you again,” shouted Molly at her 13 year old sons. She often wondered if they did this to her just to make her frustrated, or if they were just that independent. She was often frustrated at the fact that her twins looked to be taking a completely different path than Percy. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mum, what on earth-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“-are you yelling about? We’re-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“-right behind you!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Molly jumped what seemed to be a foot in the air upon hearing the voices of her twin sons. “Why in Merlin’s name would you scare me like that, you two? Well, never mind that now we are running behind and we have to get your supplies for the year!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fred and George rolled their eyes at their mother’s back before moving towards the fireplace. Looking at each other they both agreed to be on their best behavior while at Diagon Alley. Unfortunately they both knew that even with their best efforts, their mother would find something to complain about. </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Malfoy Manor, August 15th 10am</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mooooootherrrrrr,” came the extraordinarily high pitched whine from the youngest Malfoy. “I cannot find my favourite cufflinks! What happened to them?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Narcissa Malfoy, as gracious a woman as there has ever been, sighed a deep sigh and slowly rose to her feet from the comfortable chair in the parlour. Carefully sweeping away the imaginary lint, she moved towards the sound of her only son building towards a full blown tantrum. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Striding elegantly into the suite belonging to her son she said, “Draco, darling, please remember to stay composed. These tantrums are unbecoming of the only Malfoy heir.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was clear that Draco was currently beyond listening. He swung around and began waving his hands through the air frantically as he spoke. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I remember putting my favourite pair of cufflinks in this specific dresser drawer,” Draco began while pointing to the drawer, “but now they are gone and I do not know where they could have gone!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Narcissa pulled her wand and with a quick, and silent </span>
  <em>
    <span>accio</span>
  </em>
  <span> had the cufflinks sitting in the palm of her hand having flown there from the bathroom. She looked at them and then looked at her son who was looking a mite sheepish.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Draco, did you forget that you took them into the bathroom when you went in to sort out your hair?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess I did, mother. I am sorry for the fuss that I caused when simply asking in a calm manner would have been a better way,” Draco replied with his eyes downcast. “I will be at my best for the rest of the day. Thank you for helping me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Narcissa smiled down at her son. “Thank you for that apology and you are quite welcome. Now hurry and finish getting ready. We are starting to run behind and you know how your father gets if we are perceived as late.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Draco nodded at his mother with a sheepish smile, and moved to finish attaching his cufflinks before following Narcissa to the receiving room. </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Elsewhere in the Manor</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lucius, you must take that boy to task,” Abraxus forced out through clenched teeth. He had listened to his grandson begin his strop over cufflinks of all things and had quickly moved to his son’s study.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lucius barely glanced up from his work in recognition before saying, “you know as well as I do that if I attempt any type of punishment Narcissa will have me castrated.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well something has to give Lucius! That boy is not the heir that you will need him to be one day if he continues like this. If need be start giving him small research projects over the holidays to start including him in the business. I started giving you minor responsibilities shortly before you went to Hogwarts and I cannot fathom why Narcissa refused to let you do the same.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lucius set the document he was reading back on the desk and finally looked at Abraxas. “Father, you know full well why I have chosen to leave Draco out of the business. He has not the temperament for this work yet. He would freak out the minute something did not go his way and I, we, cannot afford something like that happening.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Abraxus sighed. He knew his son was right, but at the same time wondered how much the willful exclusion of the boy was affecting young Draco. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know you are right, Lucius, but I cannot help but feel that it is time to start giving the boy responsibilities. It is time that we start pulling him out from under Narcissa’s wing and start teaching him how to truly be the Malfoy heir.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lucius nodded consideringly before pulling out his pocket watch. “Excuse me, father, it appears that I am running slightly behind and I need to meet Narcissa and Draco in the receiving room. We will be back before dinner I am sure.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Abraxus merely nodded before preceding Lucius out of the room, on his way to his own study to contemplate the precision that would be needed to remove Draco from Narcissa’s skirts. </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>The Grangers (and McGonagall), Charing Cross Road, 9:40am </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Grangers walked quickly with Professor McGonagall as they made their way to the muggle entrance of The Leaky Cauldron. The four of them made quite the group and garnered interested looks from passersby. The Grangers, being well-suited to the muggle world,  dressed in contemporary fashions suitable for their respected ages. Professor McGonagall was dressed in what looked like 1940s fashion leading the Grangers, and other muggles, to wonder how old the woman actually was. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jean Granger was looking around when she saw a glimmer of something out of the corner of her eye. “Oh! Is that it, Professor?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The exclamation from Mrs. Granger drew the group's attention to where she pointed at a sign across the street. Daniel Granger was very confused when he couldn’t see anything, but quickly realised what was going on when Hermione started bouncing on the balls of her feet. Somehow, Jean was able to see the sign for the Leaky Cauldron which was causing Daniel not a small amount of confusion. He had heard the stories that she had told Hermione, but like his daughter, had brushed them off as unlikely and the stuff of fairy tales. To find out that there was real truth in the stories was surprising for the only male Granger. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Despite this new and slightly unnerving discovery about Jean Granger, the group swiftly crossed the street and entered the Leaky Cauldron. The inside of the wizarding pub was quite different to what any of the Grangers were expecting. Inside it was rather dingy, and much darker than any of them expected. The Grangers had a very bright view of the wizarding world, imagining that all of the buildings would be full of light. To have that view stripped in the first few minutes of exposure was a little disheartening, especially to Hermione. Luckily for the elder Grangers, they had one Professor Minerva McGonagall who had an answer for them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The Leaky Cauldron looks this way to help prevent unwanted attention. The proprietor of the shop keeps it looking like this as a means of protecting the shop from robbery. Of course, it is one of the wizarding world’s worst kept secrets that, besides one of the pubs in Hogsmeade, The Leaky Cauldron is one of the most successful restaurants in the country.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Minerva smiled as the entire Granger family seemed to let out a uniform sigh of relief that the exterior of the pub was merely a facade to protect the business. Despite the entire wizarding world knowing of The Leaky Cauldron’s constant financial success, it was one of the safest buildings in Diagon Alley. The proprietor was well respected by the wizarding community living and working in and around Diagon Alley. The high regard for the wizarding pub accounted for a higher percentage of the safety than the dingy exterior of the building.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jean Granger’s smile returned full force understanding exactly what Minerva was saying. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The people certainly do their best for the safety of the whole it seems. To purposefully make this pub look so nasty, it must be important to the community.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You will see just how important momentarily, Mrs. Granger”, Minerva responded, pushing the door open. “We won’t stay long, just long enough to say hi to Tom, the proprietor, before moving on to the Alley.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Minerva followed the statement by doing exactly that. She quickly strode over to the bar where the proprietor stood drying a glass with a rag. She gestured to the three Grangers before walking back to them and leading them out to a small sequestered patio. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Minerva turned to the small group and smiled mischievously. “Mr and Mrs Granger, young Hermione, welcome to Diagon Alley’, she said while tapping on particular bricks without looking. To the Granger’s surprise and awe, the bricks began to move, revealing an archway to the British wizarding community’s largest shopping district. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For the Grangers, the first stop had to be Gringotts. Minerva quickly steered the gawking group towards the largest building in the alley while whispering advice and information to them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now, the first thing to know is that the bank is run by goblins. They are a proud species and deserve all due respect. Do not underestimate them. They will not take disrespect lightly, nor will they allow pestering of any kind, especially about things you ought not know about.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Grangers were trying to keep up with the influx of information, but were very obviously overwhelmed by it all despite their efforts to hide that. Minerva smiled at them before apologising for it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am sorry for all of this information, but it is best to go into Gringotts prepared. It is perhaps one of the hardest adjustments for those raised without magic. Now the best thing to remember about the goblins above all others is that their main, some would argue only, concern is the gold and objects of value they protect. They have many fail safes in place to prevent theft, and while I know none of you would ever attempt such a thing, it is still important to remark upon.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Again, the Grangers merely looked at the professor as they reached the bottom of the stairs leading up to the bank. Being this close to the bank they could see the armed goblin guards that stood outside of the giant doors. As they moved up the stairs they could see a large plaque beside a door warning people of what awaited any that attempted to steal that which did not belong to them, and knew that Minerva had not exaggerated about the protectiveness of the goblins. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Moving past the guards and into the main area of the bank, the Grangers stopped short to gaze about in awe. The inside of the bank, somehow, was even more beautiful than the outside. The gilded ceiling looked down upon a shining marble floor that looked like it was polished every hour to remove any dirt or footprints. To the Grangers, the beauty of the building was marvelous and knew that it was only possible through magic. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Unfortunately, the gawking Grangers were moved quickly through the bank and thus no longer able to take in the gorgeous architecture and decoration of the building. They swiftly approached a goblin that did not have a line and informed them that they wanted to open an account and exchange pounds to galleons. To the Grangers immense satisfaction, the process was much shorter at Gringotts than at any muggle bank. Of course, they weren’t exactly happy that Hermione had to prick her finger to do so, but they supposed the efficiency made up for it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Business at Gringotts done, they left the bank as swiftly as they had come and moved on to Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions. On their way, they passed a large group of redheads whom Minerva pointed out as “The Weasley Family” seemingly breaking up into two groups.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>The Weasleys, The Leaky Cauldron, 10:10am</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fred and George! What have I told you about behaving while we are in public”, came the frantic voice of Molly Weasley. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Both twins gave a quiet sigh. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry mum”, George began. Of course because of how Molly was feeling (stressed, exhausted, annoyed), neither George nor Fred were able to complete a thought. Both twins had known to expect this behaviour from their mother, after all this was the way they had been treated ever since they had both expressed an intense distaste at the idea of working for the ministry. Neither boy thought that working in an office all day with only fake windows to “look through” was overly appealing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For some reason, their dear old mum took offense to that. They would have understood a little had their father been offended. After all, he worked for the ministry, and very hard at that. But despite working so very hard at his job, Arthur Weasley made very little money. This problem is what caused the annual who gets new items argument each year when the supply lists arrived. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Of course sometimes the answer was fairly obvious. A good example of an obvious answer is who would be getting anything new next year: Ginny. As the only girl in the family, she would need all new robes to start at Hogwarts. This year it had been decided that the only “new” thing being bought would be the owl that Mr and Mrs. Weasley would be giving to Percy as a congratulatory present. Upon looking at the budget, the Weasley matriarch had found an old wand that had belonged to Charlie and given that to Ron, much to his displeasure, and the annoyance of the rest of the children as he proceeded to throw a massive fit that lasted several days. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Weasley crowd had moved swiftly (for a group of seven that consisted mainly of children) into the little patio that housed the magic doorway while Fred and George thought about the problems a lack of funds caused their family. They had accepted the fact that they would most likely never get new things simply because they refused to follow in the footsteps of “Perfect Percy” and the fact that there was only one girl in the house. But just because they accepted it, did not mean they had to like it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The group of red haired adults and children moved quickly into the alley proper before Molly split them into two groups. Fred, George and Ginny went with Arthur while Ron and Percy went with Molly, each group headed to different stores. Molly and the two boys went to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions first to find robes. They had to buy a “fresh” secondhand set that would automatically adjust to show the new students house crest upon his sorting. Once Molly knew what house he would be in (there was little doubt, but one could never be too careful about these things) she could mail the adjusted robes to him. It was the second stop for them that would not go over well. They would be stopping at Eeylops Owl Emporium to let Percy pick out his owl. Ronald, of course, would not be made aware of this until they were in the store. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arthur, with the twins and Ginny, was having a grand time. They went into Flourish and Blotts for books where he lost track of the twins for a few moments before finding them with a bookish looking girl with lots of thick curly hair. He quickly apologised to the girl for his boys before dragging them off to the apothecary. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What have you two been told about talking to strangers? Why do you always have to do something that will get you into trouble”, Arthur asked quickly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But dad”, George began. We didn’t run off or anything!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ya dad! We only found her looking at books for the upper years and thought that maybe she was lost”, Fred said, grinning a little.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We only offered to help her find the first year books so that she could be on her way!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Apparently she had already found the books she needed, but since she’s muggleborn she wanted to find other books that would help her learn about our world! We pointed out the history section for her and she was just thanking us when you came over.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arthur looked at the very innocent looks on his son's faces and sighed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I see your point boys. That was a good thing you did for that girl”, Arthur said smiling before realising what one of his boys said. “Did she tell you that she is a muggleborn?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fred thought for a moment before responding. “She didn’t actually say it, but she almost seemed like she was daring us to say something about it as though someone had already made fun of her about it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah! She had this super defensive posture and looked at us like she would personally end us if we did say anything negative about it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fred and George looked at each other with identical grins before saying, “We bet she’ll be a Gryffindor!”</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>The Malfoys and Grangers, Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions, ~10:05am</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Despite the seemingly late start for the eternally punctual small family unit, the Malfoy family was already working on getting young Draco measured for his school robes. The young boy was standing on the little stool in towards the back of the shop while Narcissa and Lucius waited in the front, wishing most desperately that they could have been at Twilfit and Tatting’s instead. Unfortunately, all Hogwarts robes had to be purchased from Madame Malkin due to an agreement with the school.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As the elder two Malfoys waited, the bell to the shop tinkled quietly to alert the seamstress that there was a new customer coming in. Narcissa, having more stealth than her husband, surreptitiously glanced over at the newcomers without them noticing her look. Her husband on the other hand, Merlin bless him, looked at them with all the subtlety of a hippogriff in a china shop. At his look, all four members of the group looked over and saw the weird looks they were receiving from Lucius before either he or Narcissa could register one of the faces in the group. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That person spoke up, “Mr and Mrs. Malfoy”, Professor Minerva McGonagall began. “How lovely to see you today. I take it you have young Mr. Malfoy being fitted today?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Narcissa, usually more capable at hiding her feelings than her husband, merely nodded elegantly at the professor before turning her attention to the other three members of the group.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who might you be escorting today, professor”, Lucius asked, somewhat aggressively.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Narcissa sighed a little at the question. Her husband could really use some tact once in a while. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Professor McGonagall looked at Lucius in a manner that, to Narcissa, showed that she also thought Lucius could use a lesson in tact.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“These are the Grangers, Mr. Malfoy. Young Hermione will be joining your son for her first year at Hogwarts in September.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The young girl in the group shyly waved at them before ducking back towards her parents as if to remove herself from the spotlight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Thankfully, Madam Malkin walked into the front of the shop when she heard the voices. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did I hear that there is another first year waiting out here”, the friendly-looking seamstress asked. She wasn’t an overly tall woman, but her joviality and kind way of speaking seemed to fill the entire room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hermione was gently pushed in front of the seamstress by her mother while the Malfoys watched on. Madam Malkin quickly looked the young girl up and down before swiftly taking her into the back room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The measuring area of the back room was rather small so as to provide a changing area for patrons. There were two stools set up in the open space, and two small changing rooms that were accessible from that space. Hermione was only slightly shocked to see the boy whose parents were waiting for him in the front.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Madam Malkin helped her up onto a stool and flicked her wand at a measuring tape that seemingly came to life. After it had taken all of her measurements, the seamstress showed her a few fabrics and Hermione picked the black cotton and a black wool for winter. Although she had never been to Scotland, she knew it would most likely be really cold in the winter months. Fabrics chosen, Madam Malkin bustled away, leaving the two children alone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Draco was shocked to see a girl walk into the back room with the seamstress. He wasn’t shocked that another person was going to be measured at the same time, that was a common enough occurrence. He was shocked because of how much hair was springing away from the girls head. He had very few female friends, but those that he did have seemed to have very straight, very controlled hair. This girl’s hair was all over the place. The curls ranged from being extremely tight to rather loose and it increased the idea that this girl was wild. Despite all of that, he still decided to try and talk with her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Here for Hogwarts robes”, he asked in the drawling tone his parents had instilled. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hermione merely nodded before continuing to follow Madam Malkin’s instructions.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll be going there too”, Draco said undeterred. “Do you know what house you’ll be in? I know that I’ll be in Slytherin myself. Every Malfoy that has ever attended Hogwarts has been. Most of my mother’s family was too as far as I know.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hermione just kept her head down. Normally, she would have loved to respond to the boy, especially in regards to the school, but she realised quickly that he was most likely going to judge her for being muggleborn so she stayed quiet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think it is absolute rubbish that first years can’t have brooms in their first year. From my understanding, the school brooms are so old that even my father used them for his flying lessons. As a Malfoy, it is ridiculous that I have to ride the same brooms that everyone uses for lessons. Plus, I have to wait an extra year to join the quidditch team. Do you follow quidditch at all?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finally deciding to speak because she hated whiny people, Hermione responded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I rather think it sensible that first years aren’t allowed to join the quidditch teams or have their own brooms, and no, I don’t follow quidditch.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Draco’s mouth dropped open in astonishment when he finally heard the girl speak. “Why don’t you follow quidditch”, he asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t believe there is a tv channel that gets quidditch. Plus I am rather new to the sport.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If it were possible Draco’s jaw would have hit the floor. She was a muggleborn! No wonder her hair was such a fright. She had no way to tame it yet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah so you must be a muggleborn then”, Draco sneered. “No doubt you’ll end up in Hufflepuff or Gryffindor then. No muggleborns have ever been sorted into Slytherin, and for good reason.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Thankfully, Madam Malkin chose that moment to walk back into the room and hustle the children back to the front of the shop and their waiting parents. Hermione quickly moved over to her mother while Draco elegantly crossed the room to his. Hermione hated that she thought anything he did was elegant.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mother, where are we going next”, Draco asked as Lucius paid for his robes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We shall be heading to the apothecary next, darling. Your godfather placed the order for your ingredients so we will be picking them up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As one, the Malfoy’s left the robe shop and headed toward the apothecary as the Grangers paid for Hermione’s robes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can we go to the bookstore next, please”, the young girl inquired. She felt slightly shaken after the mostly one sided conversation. She had not realised that to many people in the wizarding world, her being muggleborn was something inherently wrong. After that encounter, it was something she would never forget. </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>The Grangers, Flourish and Blotts, ~10:10am</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The calming fragrance of old and new books washed over Hermione as she walked into the book shop. This was exactly what she needed after her interaction with the young boy she now knew to be Draco Malfoy. She had been rather quiet since leaving the back room of the robe shop and while neither of her parents knew what was said, they knew that it would be similar to what she had endured in her primary school. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hermione had felt the worried glances from her parents on the way to the book shop. She had known that they would know that she had probably been bullied in that back room of the shop, but she couldn’t bring herself to care about what he had said about her. What mattered to her is what he insinuated about her parents. The insinuation that they were lesser because they did not have magic truly rankled Hermione. The idea that two people who had worked so hard to raise her were somehow lesser because they were muggles was absolutely mind boggling. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>First year books were swiftly gathered due to the proprietor of the shop having the books separated by year versus sorted by topic giving Hermione time to wander through the shelves in search of extra magical history books. She needed to know whether this belief of muggles being lesser was common in the magical world so she could push to change it. She loved her parents dearly and refused to let anyway believe them to be lesser. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Hermione wandered along one of the rows of books she thought she saw a history book and paused to look at it. As she stood there, two redheaded boys approached her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Excuse us”, one of the boys began.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you looking for your books”, the other finished. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hermione swiftly turned around to look at them, and recognized them as what Professor McGonagall called Weasleys.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I already found them. I am looking for wizarding history books to better prepare myself for Hogwarts, and the people that I will be learning with”, she answered swiftly and without the usual excited tone she used when referring to research.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two boys glanced at each other. She was certainly a feisty firstie they thought.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you’re looking for history books-”, this time it was the twin who originally spoke second who spoke first.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We recommend checking along the back wall. That’s where we typically look-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Especially for histories of magical theory and creation.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hermione glanced between the two boys suspiciously, but before she could say anything, even a thank you, the boys’ father appeared and rather quickly apologised for what he apparently believed was his sons’ misbehaviour before practically dragging them from the shop.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hermione watched on with curiosity as the boys worked to defend the interaction they had with her to a parent who very clearly assumed the worst of them. It was also clear that after they explained, the father quickly accepted what had truly happened and seemed almost proud of them. Hermione smiled at the thought that the father seemed willing to listen to them. It was far too clear that the boys she met were used to being treated like they were always up to no good. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was with that thought that took her to the back wall as they had recommended. Just as they had said, many of the books were related to the history of magical theory and creation, but she managed to find history books detailing different wars, dark lords/ladys, and even more current events. Smiling to herself, she promised that she would find those boys on the train to Hogwarts, if only to say thank you, and maybe apologize for not quite believing them about the history books. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hermione’s parents and Professor McGonagall quietly called out for her to let her know it was time to move on before paying for the required books, plus a few extra history books which made Minerva smile and her parents chuckle. Leaving the store they made their way down the alley towards the other stores they needed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>One such store had the elder Granger’s in hysterics. In the stationary store, the three Grangers were surprised to see the multitude of feather quills and inks on offer. Upon hearing that quills were still used at Hogwarts, Hermione had stared at Minerva in shock before asking if there was no way to have that changed. It was hard enough, in her humble opinion, for muggleborns to adjust to living in a magical castle, but to have to add relearning how to write to that list was beyond the pale. Of course, according to Minerva, no exception had ever been made, but in this one case, Hermione refused to back down which greatly surprised both student and professor. In Hermione’s mind, it was the question of how, outside of her taking notes in classes, would the professors know that the essay wasn’t written with a quill, but eventually, with the promise of lessons, Hermione broke down and got the quills and inks required. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finally, it was the moment Hermione had been waiting for all day. The group of four walked towards Ollivander’s, the best wand shop in all of England, and arguably continental Europe. Walking into the store, Hermione felt horribly underwhelmed. It was a dark room, the windows having been coated with some sort of tint to keep the light out, and very few lamps lit. A few feet in front of the door was a counter, behind which were stacks and stacks of long, thin boxes Hermione could only assume held wands. A few seconds after walking in a voice from within the gloom behind the counters spoke up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Minerva McGonagall”, the voice exclaimed. “I never imagined seeing you in my shop again. Fir and dragon heartstring, 9 ½ inches if I’m not mistaken, and I rarely am.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Minerva smiled gently at where she imagined the man was. “You are never wrong Mr. Ollivander. Still as stiff as the day I bought it and it has never steered me wrong.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With that statement she pulled out the aforementioned wand and gave it a little swish and flick causing one of the chairs in the shop to slowly rise a few inches before coming back to the floor. Mr. Ollivander clapped gaily at the small display before turning his attention to Hermione.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah, now I understand your purpose! You have brought a first year along today. Come now young miss, let’s get you set up with a wand in a jiffy.” As he got the measuring tape set up he said, “You know, Minerva, not two weeks ago I had young Mr. Potter in my shop. He is quite the polite young man. I can see him doing many great things.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The measuring tape flew around Hermione gathering even more measurements for the wand maker, more even than what was needed for Madam Malkin. As the tape kept measuring weirder and weirder points on her body, Hermione realised that once it was charmed to do its job it kept going until it was told to stop which was why it was currently measuring the distance between her nostrils. Just as she was about to speak up and inform Mr. Ollivander of just what the weird measuring tape was doing, he looked up and flicked his wand causing the tape to vanish and a piece of paper to softly float onto the counter. Looking at it he quickly moved into the back room and started grabbing different wand boxes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright young miss, let’s start testing wands. Here you are, all you need to do is give it a small wave.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What followed was a twenty minute session of “is this your wand”. During this, Mr. Ollivander had explained to the rather lost Grangers the concept of the wand choosing the wizard. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finally, after twenty minutes (which to Hermione felt like several hours) and who knows how many wands, Hermione was holding a wand that was softly glowing instead of breaking something within the shop. She grinned widely at the warmth she was feeling spreading up her arm and through her entire body. It was a feeling similar to drinking a cup of tea or hot cocoa on a cold day. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mr. Ollivander smiled largely and clapped quickly. “One of my favourites”, he exclaimed. “Vine with dragon heartstring, 10 ¾ inches, good for transfiguration!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hermione’s smile lasted while her parents paid for her wand up until she almost ran into a pale, blonde boy she had hoped not to see until the 1st of September. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Got your wand did you”, Draco sneered at her causing a quick flinch on Hermione’s part. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, I did. I take it you are going to get yours now”, Hermione responded keeping her cool despite wanting to yell at him. “However, if you’ll excuse us, we are heading home. I hope you find your wand quickly.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With those few, yet eloquent, words Hermione Granger led her parents and a professor away from the shop and towards the Leaky Cauldron. The plan was to leave the same way they came following a spot of lunch. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Please leave me constructive notes so I can figure out where I need to tighten up the chapter. In the Google Doc it is 22 pages long with roughly 6500 words and while it is a good feeling to have a decently long chapter, I am worried it is too long. </p>
<p>I realise that there are many things in this chapter (specifically the Malfoys being in the alley) that didn't happen at this time but for the sake of my plot this is how it works here.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope everyone enjoyed this first of hopefully many chapters! Please drop a line to let me know how I did.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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